Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Govt. spends 1.75 Crores on IFTAR parties: Swamy writes to Minister

Many different departments of the Government of India have been spending public money on Iftar parties . Despite a clear directive from the ministry of finance not to spend public money on such religious parties , various departments continue to do that. According to a news item published in August 6, 2012 issue of Indian Express Online ( Full news item reproduced here from Internet), the PMO, External Affairs Ministry ,LOk Sabha & Rajya Sabha Secretariat and the CPWD have spent Rs. 1.75 Crores over the past 10 years. Janata Party President Dr Subramanian Swamy has asked the External Affairs minister Salman Khurshid to ask whether the minister would consider similar funds for parties related to Hindu festivals also . The text of the letter written by Dr Swamy and the original news item ,are reproduced here.

July 2, 2013.

Mr. Salman Khurshid,

Minister of External Affairs,

South Block,

New Delhi.

Dear Salman,

With this letter I enclose a news item
posted online in Indian Express of August 6, 2012 regarding the expenses out of
public funds by the Ministry of External Affairs and other Departments for meeting the expenses on Iftar
parties. I write to
ask whether you would consider also providing funds for the celebration of Holi
and Deepavali or will such expenses be confined only for Iftar parties. If so, why so?

The Prime Minister's
Office, External Affairs Ministry, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Secretariats and
Central Public Works Department (CPW-D) have spent Rs 1.75 crore on 18 iftar
parties over the past 10 years even though the Ministry of Finance (MoF)
maintains that public funds can't be used for such events.

In fact, responses of different departments to an RTI application filed by
The Indian Express, seeking details of expenses on iftar parties — not a few of
which were hosted in the past decade — reveal a lack of clarity about rules
regarding such expenditure. While the MoF's Department of Expenditure said
expenses on iftar parties are not allowed from the state exchequer — it also
said the host departments didn't seek its permission for such parties — other
departments maintained otherwise.

The Rajya Sabha Secretariat, which has spent Rs 22.75 lakh on five iftar
parties since 2007-08, said: "Yes, the secretariat bears expenses incurred
in this regard." When asked under which rule, it replied: "There is
no rule. It is as per the convention." It, however, added that
"expenditure is met on shared basis in the ratio of 2:1 between the Rajya
Sabha Secretariat and the Ministry of External Affairs."

The Lok Sabha Secretariat said spending public money on iftar parties was
allowed and that it has spent Rs 5.83 lakh on two such parties in 2010 and
2011. "Expenditure on iftar parties is met from the hospitality grant of
the Lok Sabha Secretariat," it added.

The PMO's response to the RTI request, on the other hand, was interesting:
its reply to almost all queries about iftar parties was that "information
sought is not a part of records held by this office". The PMO has hosted
six iftar parties since 2004 at a cost of Rs 1.03 crore, which, it said, was
borne by the External Affairs Ministry (MEA) and the CPWD.

The MEA, on its part, said it has spent about Rs 41.48 lakh on 10 iftar
parties, including the ones hosted by the PMO, since 2004. But to all other
queries on the matter, it replied: "No specific information
available".

- See more at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/mof-says-can-t-spend-public-money-on-iftar-but-govt-spent-rs-1.75-cr-in-10-yrs/984300/0#sthash.sly2MBN1.dpuf